Mechanism for making printing-surfaces.



No. 637,596. Patented Nov. 2'|, I899.

E. HETT. MECHANISM FOR MAKING PRINTING SURFACES.

(Application filed Oct. 4, 1899.)

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(N0 Model.)

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No. 637,596. Patented Nov. 2|, I899. E. HETT.

MECHANISM FOR MAKING PRINTING SURFACES.

(Application filed Oct. 4, 1899.\

I6 Sheets-Sheet 2,

(N6 Model.-

INVENTOR W hwt BY 1 W \HQM M- t ATTORNEYS WITNESSES:

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No. 637,596. Patented Nov. 2|, I899. E. HETT MECHANISM FOR MAKING PRINTING SURFACES.

(Application filed Oct. 4 1899.)

I6 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.'

INVENTOR $44M; Hwc

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Patented Nov;- 21; 1399,

'E. H ETT. MECHANISM FOB MAKING PRINTING SURFAG ES."

(Application filed Oct. 4,. 1399.

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ATTORNEYS WITNESSES if I m. 637,596. Patented Nov. 2|, I899.

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MECHANISM FOR MAKING PRINTING SURFACES,

(Am-1" filed 0&4, 1899.)

(No Model.) l6 Sheets-Sheet 5.

R k 3 m \L L 3 q Q i k WITNESSES: 1 INVENTOR GMHM BY 1 W W W ATTORNEY S Patented Nov. 2|, I899. E. HETT.

MECHANISM FOR MAKING PRINTING SURFACES.

(Application filed Oct. 4, 1899.)

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Patented Nbv. 2|, I899.

E. HETT.

MECHANISM FOR MAKING PRINTING SURFACES.

(Application filed Oct. 4, 1899.)

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No. 637,596. Patented Nov. 2|, I899. E. HETT. MECHANISM FOR MAKING PRINTING SURFACES.

(Application filed Oct. 4, 1899.)

(No Model.)

I6 Sheets-Sheet 8,

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No. 637,596. Patented Nov. 2|, I899.

E. HETT. MECHANISM FOR MAKING PRINTING SURFACES.

(Application filed Oct. 4, 1899.)

I6 Sheets-Sheet 9.

(N0 "Odom INVENTOR \L/ V 7K ATTORNEYS m: ncnms vzrsns co. Pam-ammo" WASNINCI'ON. o. c.

No. 637,596. Patented Nov. 2|, I899. E. HETT.

MECHANISM FOR MAKINGPRINTING SURFACES.

(Application flied. Oct. 4, 1899A (No Model.)

l6 Sheets-Sheet l0.

COM Hw r BY W W |lmi v U f V ,R r w M, H "A m fig S ATTORNEY S No. 637,596. Patented Nov. 2|, I899. E. HETT.

MECHANISM FOR MAKING PRINTING SURFACES.

(Application filed Oct. 4, 1899.)

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INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 2|, I899.

E. HETT.

.NIECHANISM FOR MAKING PRINTING SURFACES.

(Application filed Oct. 4, 1899.)

I6 Sheets-Sheet l-2.

(No Model.)

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No. 631,596. Patented Nov. 2|, I899. E. HETT.

MECHANISM FOR MAKING PRINTING SURFACES.

(Application filed Oct. 4, 1899.)

I6 Sheats-Sheet l3.

(No Model.)

(K -4 W ATTORNEYS No. 637,596. Patented Nov. 2|, I899. E. HETT.

MECHANISM FOR MAKING PRINTING SURFACES.

(Application filed Oct. 4, 1899.)

I6 SheetsSheet I4.

(No Model.)

WITNESSES:

INVENTOR '4 KW. ATTORNEYS ms uonms van: on Puo'roumu, WASHINGTON. a. c.

No. 637596. Patented Nov. 2|, I899. E. HETT.

MECHANISM FOR MAKING PRINTING SURFACES.

(Applicatiori filed Oct. 4, 1899.)

I8 Shuts-Sheet l5 (No Model.)

INVENTOR WITNESSES:

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, STATES PATENT Prion.

EDVV ARD HETT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 637,596, dated November 21, 1899.

A plication filed October 4, 1899.

T ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD HETT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York, (New Dorp,) in the county of Richmond and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMechanism for Making Printing-Surfaces, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mechanism de signed and adapted to be employed in making printing-surfaces suitable for planographic, relief, intaglio, orother printing;

In that branch of the art to which my invention is most nearly related it has heretofore been the practice in making printing-surfaces to first make a basic surface by sticking up by hand and with great care'a number of transfers upon a fiatsupport, called a setting-up plate. These transfers are usually thin pieces of paper bearing copies in black ink of the design or matter to be printed by aprinting-surface. The designs on the transfer-paper are generally printed thereon and without any special reference to the absolute or relative location'of the designs on the various transfer-papers. Where several printing-surfaces are to cooperatein printing, as in multicolonwork, it is essential that the transfers for each printingsurface be very carefully stuck up on the setting-up plate in accordance with certain matchingguidingmarks previously located on each transfer when the transfer is made and on the settingup plate with reference to the register of the printing-surfaces which when completed are to cooperate in printing. When a basic surface has been thus prepared, it has been the practice tolayit upon the surface, generally a fiat stone, which is to become the printingsurface. Scrapers are then passed over the setting-up plate, so as to exert proper pressure, and the setting-up plate being removed the transfers are found turned over from the setting-up plate upon the stone. The transfer-paper is then soaked off, but the ink of the transfer remains on the printing-surface, and the surface is then developed, as by etching, and thus becomes a printing-surface. In

cases where it is necessary to employ a pinrality of printing-surfaces in printing a job it has been the practice according to this old process to make each of the printingsurfaces Serial No. 732,440. (No model.)

in the same way, starting always with the setting-up plate and the transfers turned over thereon upon each surface to be made into a printin'gsurface. Whatever may be the number of printing-surfaces required for a job it was necessary to form each in the same way from its particular basic surface previously prepared and with the same painstaking care, especially in regard to accuracy of register. Again, where in some cases it was desired to duplicate the printing-surfaces, so that those worn out might be replaced or so that the printing might proceed on different presses at the same time with duplicate printing-surfaces, it was necessary to form these duplicate printing-surfaces each in the same way and always from a new and original basic surface previously prepared and each with the same expenditure of care, time, and labor. Thus the making of the printing-surfaces added greatly to the final cost of the job and this cost increased in proportion to the number of printing-surfaces required.

The mechanism which constitutes the subject-matter of the present application will be best understood by first referring to the process, the economical carrying out of which said mechanism is designed to facilitate. The process referred to is made the subject of a separate application concurrently filed herewith. That process results in the making of a printing-surface, whether planographic, relief, intaglio, or otherwise, from a previouslyprepared printing-surface, which for convenience may be here called a primary printing-surface or a primary surface, by printing from said primary surfacethat is, suitably imparting an impression from said surface-directly or indirectly upon or to a surface adapted to be developed into a printingsurface, said bodies or couple being arranged in a definite and predetermined cooperating relation both longitudinally and transversely with reference to predetermined guides for the purpose hereinafter explained. The surface which thus receives the design from the primary surface I herein, for convenience, term the secondary surface,and when developed the secondary printing-surface. By the use of the preestablished guides or guiding means, which may vary widely in character and arrangement, the design of the ries or a plurality of series of registering secondary printing-surfaces may be made. The secondary surfaces are made of a permanent size and shape to adapt them to fit in a preestablished seat in a printing-press, so that they may be mounted at once in place in the press and withoutany special adjustment for register be made to print in accurate regis- I ter. By means of the mechanism of the present invention from a series of registering primary surfaces a series of registering secondary surfaces or a plurality of series of such secondary surfaces may be made.

In carrying out the process I may begin with a primary surface made by any suitable processor may, and generally do, begin, as a preliminary to the process, by first making the primary surface, preparing for this purpose a. basic surface preferably by sticking up ordinary transfers bearing the design to be printed upon a setting-up plate and turning over these transfers in the usual way upon a printing-surface, which is then suitably developed and becomes the so-called primary surface. This primary surface may be of stone, zinc, aluminium, or other suitable material and may be developed so as to be a planographic, relief, intaglio, or other printing-surface. The primary surface is generally grad uated'that is, the design thereon is so made as to be capable of printing an impression in which the ink will be distributed on the impression-surface in graduated quantities for light and shade effects,.depth of co1or,&c. The primary surface and secondary surface are then arranged in a definite and predetermined cooperating relation, so

- that the former works as required with reference to the latter and with reference to the position which it is desired the designof the primary surface shall occupy on the secondary surface when imparted thereto. For this purpose the primary surface and the secondsecondary surface is most conveniently car ary surface are arranged in preestablished seat-son suitable supports prepared for them in a machine in which the process of imparting the design of the primary surface to the ried out, the prestablished guides being employed for quickly and with absolute accu- 'racy arranging the primary and secondary surfaces in the proper cooperating relation.

The design of the'primary surface is then car-" ried over from the primary surface and imparted to or upon the secondary surface directly or indirectly, but without the intermediate employment of a setting-up plate. The secondary surface is then developed so as to become a printing-surface, and is then the socalled secondary printing surface. Like the primary surface, it may be of stone, zinc, aluminium ,or other suitable material and may be developed so as to be a plan'ographic, relief, intaglio, or other printing-surface, and the development of the secondary surface may or may not be in accordance with the method employed in developing the primary surface. For example, the primary surface may be a relief or intaglio surface and the secondary surface may be so developed as to be a planographic surface, or vice versa.. Neither the character nor material of one of these surfaces, whatever it may be, has any necessary dependence upon the character or material of the other. In completing the primary and secondary printing-surfaces either 'or both may be developed by light or deep etching or by any other suitable method and may be routed out. a

There are various means by which the design of the primary surface may be printed upon or imparted to the secondary surface by the primary surface, all of which are within the scope of myinvention. j The design of the primary surface may be printed upon aconveying-surface, which is then brought into contact wit-h the secondary surface, so as to impart thereto the design which it has previously taken from the primary surface, the conveying-surface being an intermediate between the primary surface and the secondary surface and being a basic surface for the secondary surface, or the primary surface may be made to printdirectly upon the secondary surface, in which case the lattersurfacewhen developed'would print the same design as the primary surface, but in reverse. In cases where an intermediate conveying-surface is employed it may, as preferred, be in the form of a fabric, as transfer-paper, stretched over a suitable support and be brought into firm contactwith the secondary surface and turned over thereupon, or the conveying-surface may be a sheet of paper, rubber, or other suitable material and held on a support from which the conveying-surface is not separated when such surface is brought into contact with the secondary surface, but which remains firmly secured on its support during this operation. When the conveying-surface is of paper and whether it is held on its support during the operation of imparting the design to the secondary surface or is turned over from its support upon the secondary surface, new or successive conveyingsurfaces must take the place on the support of the one used, and preferably the identical place, in imparting the design to new or successive secondary surfaces. When the conveying-surface is of rubber or some other material admitting of repeated use, it is permanently held on its supportfthe ink residuum, if any, being washed off or otherwise removed before beginning its work for each new and difierent design to be'imparted to a secondary surface.

I preferably employ aconveying-surface in carrying over and imparting the design to the secondary surface, the conveying-surface generally being of transfer-paper and after receiving the design from the primary sursurface. The secondary surfaces are preferably identical and interchangeable, especially where they are to carry the same design, and where they are to carry different designs intended to cooperate in printing, as in multicolor-printing, they are designed and constructed-for register when completed as printing-surfaces. In nsin g the conveying-s11 rface in practice it is mounted in a machine with the primary surface and the secondary surface, the primary surface and secondary surface being arranged in a definite and predetermined cooperating relation both longitudinally and transversely and preferably in the same or equivalent definite and predetermined cooperating relation both longitudinally and transversely with respect to the conveying-surface and with reference to prestablished guides. For this purpose I mount and used as a printing-surface. Thus it will be seen that the printing-surfaceviz., the

secondary printing-surface-is made orderived from a previously-prepared printingsnrface-viz. the primary surface -and without the intermediate employment of a settingup plate, which after the primary surface has been made has no further utility. .It will also be seen that two or more secondary printing-surfaces may be derived also from the primary surface and two or more secondary printing-surfaces, or one or more such surfaces with a primary surface constitute a plurality of printing-surfaces adapted to be used in printing the same design. This plurality of printing-surfaces for the same design is very useful in cases where itis desired to run two or more presses upon the same job or when one. or more extra printing-surfaces are required to take the place of a printing surface or surfaces which have been worn out the conveying-surface and the coacting primary and secondary surfaces in the machine each in its own separate assigned place or preestablished seat. The secondary surface is made removable, so that successive secondary surfaces may be arranged in the same place, and thus be arranged in the same relation with respect to the conveying-surface or successive conveying-surfaces and receive identical designs from the same primary surface, and when the secondary surfaces are identical the identical designs imparted thereto will be identically placed, so that these secondary surfaces may be interchangeable in the subsequent printing. The same result may be attained, however, by imparting a design to a secondary surface mounted in the machine in the particular place assigned for it and then mounting the next secondary surface in the same place occupied by the primary surface, the primary surface having been previously removed after having printed its design on the con veying-surface. In this case the two successive secondary surfaces are arranged not in the same but in equivalent definite and predetermined cooperating relation with respect to the successive conveyin -surfaces. In making a series of registering secondary printing-surfaces designed to cooperate in printing each secondary surface, being. coustructed and designed for register, and its corresponding primary surface are arranged in the same or equivalent definite and predetermined cooperating relation with respect to their conveying-surface. Moreover, in making'a plurality of secondary surfaces from the same primary surface, whether through the inter-mediation of a conveying-surface or successive conveying-surfaces or not, the successive conveying-surfaces are arranged in the same or equivalent cooperating relation with respect to the primary surface. After the secondary surface has received its imprint of the design from the primary surface and has been developed in suitable manner it may then be inked, mounted in a press,

or become impaired by use in printing or otherwise. This plurality of printing-surfaces, capable of indefinite multiplication or increase, makes it possible, moreover, to print from such surfaces the same design indefinitely and beyond the limit of wear of an individual printing-surface. Again, from a series of registering primary surfaces a series or a plurality of series of secondary printingsurfaces adapted to cooperate in printing may be readily made, the designs being imparted from the series of primary surfaces to each series of secondary surfaces in accurate and predetermined position and with reference to registeras printing-surfaces, and each secondary surface of a series may be identical and interchangeable with the corresponding members of the other series. Moreover, much time, labor, and painstaking care are saved by the new process in preparing a plurality of printing-surfaces as compared with the old process of preparing each printing surface directly from a manually-prepared basic surface.

In the practical use of the invention a plurality of designs is imposed upon the primary printing-surface in accurate predetermined mutual relation with reference to the printing of those designs by the secondary printing-surface in accurate predetermined positions on the impression-surface and with reference to register. This plurality of designs is generally imposed upon the primary surface by sticking up a plurality of ordinary transfers upon a setting-up plate in the accurate predetermined mutual relation which they are to have upon the secondary surface. These transfers are then turned over upon the primary surface, which is thereupon developed, so as to be capable of printing. The secondary surface has imparted to it from the primary surface this plurality of designs in the same identical mutual relation. To accomplish this resnlt, I may bring the primary printing-surface and the secondary surface into direct contact, or, as is preferred, I may impart the designs of the primary surface to 5 accurate predetermined mutual relation and IO ondary surface.

: established guides or guiding means, whereby a conveying-surface, from which the designs are then imparted to the secondary surface. Thus it'will be seen that the secondary surface 2 has imparted to it a plurality of designs in i from a unitary surface bearing said designs 1 in the same identical relation, the primary surface or the conveying-surface being a unitary basic surface with respect to the sec-j The present invention, considered in its broader aspect, consists of a primary printing-surface developed, and therefore capable the design of the primary surface may be printed to or carried over and imparted directly or indirectly to or upon one or more secondary surfaces.

It also consists of a primary surface,- a secondary surface, and a conveying surface mounted in a suitable frame or on suitable supports and arranged in definite and predetermined cooperating relation both longitudinally and transversely with reference to preestablished guides or guiding means, whereby the primary surface may print its design on the conveying-surface and the conveying-surface may impart the design to or upon 'the secondary surface in the manner desired.

The invention also consists of the various mechanical features and combinations and subcombinations of features whereby the objeets of the invention are attained, all as will hereinafter appear, and be set out more particularly in the claims.

In the drawings forming part of this specification I have illustrated a complete machine in which are embodied the various mechanisms of my invention, all in the best form now known to me, cooperating as parts of this one machine and capable of economically and readily attaining the desired result. I It will be understood, however, that various fea- 5o tures and combinations and subcombinations thereof may be used in other relations. I have also illustrated several modifications of mechanism diagrammatically for the purpose of indicating generally that the invention is not confined to any particular and specific form of machine or mechanism.

Referring now more particularly to the va-. riousviews, in which like figures designate corresponding parts, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine referred .to and looking in the direction of the arrow 1, Fig. 4. Fig. 2 is a side elevation looking in the direction of the arrow 2, Fig. 4. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional elevation on-theline 3 3, Fig.4.

5 Fig. 4 is an end elevation.

Fig. 4 is a central broken plan view. Fig. '5 is a sectional vation on the line 19 19, Fig. 16.

plan on the line5 5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation on line 6 6 of Fig. 1. Figs.

7 and Bare respectivelya side an'dfragmental' front elevation of the inking-frame and inking-rollers. Figs. 9 and 10 are respectively a side and fragmental front elevation of the damping-frame and damping-rollers. 7 Figs.

j 11 and 12 are respectively an outer side elevation and plan view of certain mechanism for shifting the supporting-cylinder for the conveying-surface. Fig. 13 is an inner side elevation of such mechanism. Fig. 14 is a sectional elevation on the line 14 14, Fig. 11.

Fig. 15 is a broken plan view of the supporting-cylinder for the conveyin surface. Fig. 16 is a broken vertical section of the same on the line 16 16, Fig. 17. Figs. 17 and 18 are respectively opposite end elevations of said cylinder lookingin the direction of the arrows 17 and 18, Fig. 15. Fig. 19 is a sectional ele- Fig. 20 is an enlarged .fragmental end View of said cylinder, showing more particularly the papercarrier thereof. Figs. 21, 22, and 23 are end views of said cylinder, showingvarious positions of the paper-carrier in stretchingthe paper 'over the supporting-cylinder. Figs. 24, 25, 26, and 27 are diagrammatic end views of the said cylinder and the secondary surface and showing their relation in the operation of turning over a transfer from the former upon the latter. Fig. 28 is a diagrammatic view of a modification and showing a primary surface and a secondary surface cooperating together in the same machine, so that the former prints directly upon the latter. Fig. 29 is a diagrammatic view of a modification andshowin g primary and secondary surfaces and a conveying-su rface cooperating together in the same machine, the conveying-surface being in the form of a permanent substancerubber, for,examplewhich carries-over the design from the primary surface to the secondary surface. Fig. 30 is a diagrammatic view of a modification and showing primary and secondary surfaces and a conveying-surface cooperating together in the same machine, the conveying-sur-face being in the form of a temporary fabric-paper, for examplewhich remains on its support while carrying over the design from the primary surface to the secondary surface and is then torn 03. Figs. 31 and 32 .are respectively a broken plan and a longitudinal section of a secondary printing-surface mounted on its support.

Of the various types of machines in which my invention may be embodied in its broadest aspect I prefer to employ the complete organized machine shown in Figs. 1 to 27 and Figs. 31 and 32, inclusive. 'Inthis type there are primary and secondary surfaces and a conveying-surface. The machine is organized with special reference to securingthe desired manipulation and cooperation of these three elements-that is to say, there is mech- 

